Wyoming has finalized a $100 million agreement to transfer a valuable piece of land located within Grand Teton National Park to the federal government, ensuring its protection from potential development threats.
The land, known as the Kelly parcel, has been a focal point of negotiations for several years. Conservationists aimed to secure the area permanently, which serves as a migration route for pronghorn and elk and offers expansive views of the Teton Range. Previously, Wyoming had considered auctioning the one-square-mile property, potentially to luxury home developers.
As part of the agreement reached on Monday, the nonprofit Grand Teton National Park Foundation raised approximately one-third of the total funding needed, while the remaining funds were sourced from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland remarked on the deal, stating, “Today marks an incredible milestone, decades in the making, to permanently protect an essential wildlife migration corridor and treasured landscape within Grand Teton National Park.”
The deal was negotiated under time constraints, as the park foundation expressed concerns that funding might diminish if delays continued. Additionally, a group of conservative lawmakers expected to assume power in the State Legislature indicated a desire to disrupt the agreement during the upcoming legislative session.
Governor Mark Gordon certified last week that the federal government had met the prerequisites for the agreement, while also expressing hopes to modify land-management plans with the forthcoming administration.
Grand Teton National Park, one of the most visited national parks in the United States with over 3 million annual visitors, has faced challenges related to various state and private properties within its boundaries, which date back to before the park’s establishment in 1929 and expansion in 1950. The Kelly parcel was the last remaining state property within the park’s boundaries and was considered the most valuable.
Leslie Mattson, president of the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, described the land as “truly priceless,” emphasizing the importance of preserving wildlife habitat. She warned that developing luxury real estate on the parcel would have adversely affected animal migration in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the few nearly intact temperate ecosystems left on Earth.
State officials announced that the $100 million payment will be directed to support Wyoming's education system, with plans to initially invest in land in the Powder River Basin for potential revenue generation from oil and gas development.